Tropical exotic vegetables

[sun burn]

Is anyone growing any of these. What ones do you like to eat? I thought i might try a few this summer.

[eco4560]

Depends on what you call an exotic vegetable. Choko? (just joking)
I ate some of my young loofahs last year - think zucchini. And I've grown and eaten poor mans bean and rice bean and jicama. And hairy melon. And cassava and arrowroot. (well I grew the arrowroot, but I wanted more so I replanted it without eating it).
The jicama I really liked and am planning a LOT more of. Even the kids liked it.

[floot]

I grow a brassica called Senposai which the family really like. It is a loose leaf type cabbage which you can start leaf picking at a few weeks of age and the plants really thrive. A very easy way to keep permanent greens available throughout the year without having to 'crop' them. It is not a perennial but the plants last for months and are not prone to bolting.

It grows like cabbage and does not produce a kale like stalk. You can plant it fairly thickly too as it quickly smothers most weeds.

Senposai is a new hybrid of cabbage and Komatsuna, recently developed in Japan. This unique vegetable has sweet taste of cabbage and tenderness of Komatsuna, excellent for salad, stir-fry and pickling. Senposai is resistant to heat and grows well all year round. This fast-growing vegetable can be harvested 30-40 days after sowing.

I dunno how new it is I found my first seeds [YATES] about 20 years ago. You can start picking it here in about 20 days. I would recommend this plant highly for anyone living tropical as not too many brassicas can handle our 'build-up' and wet seasons. I would normally plant this on an 8'x4' bed and plant around 75-100 seeds. Not at the moment but previously I would grow 2 beds a year. Pick from the bottom up. I have also grown this in containers and an old sink.

Ye Olde Cabbage moth doesn't seem to bother them or home in on them.

I have used it many different ways but generally we steam it [for health reasons] and then put butter and pepper on it [ which is indefensible but it makes it taste sooooo gooooood!].

This is probably my favourite vegie plant and much preferred over the boks, sums, choys etc which really cant handle our tough season anyway. This probably does not fit into the 'tropical category' in origin but it certainly deserves it's place in my garden.

cheers,

[Fernando Pessoa]

I love the winged bean.Eat the whole plant full of protien super easy grower,great yield.

[mischief]

Eco,
come on needing recipes for Jicama soon
How do you cook it/ eat it?

[permasculptor]

and then put butter and pepper on it [ which is indefensible

not according to sally Fallon she loves the stuff
http://forums.permaculture.org.au/sh...t=sally+fallon

[eco4560]

Hi Mischief.
It is the root of the plant (the seed is poisonous apparently so don't get confused). The skin peels off easily with the edge of a sharp knife when it is fresh. You can eat it raw - potato texture but apple flavour, grate it into a salad, steam it, boil it (it is a bit too firm for mashing like potato) or roast it. You could probably make hash browns / rosti with it but I haven't tried that.

[Speedy]

I like jicama sliced thin (after peeling) with a dip into salt/chile powder mix then squeeze of lime juice.
or fresh birds eye chillis pounded with salt and sugar (and maybe some dried shrimp) and lime juice and dip slices in and eat.

Jicama, when cooked retains it's crunch, much like water chestnut for which it is a suitable substitute.

[sun burn]

I'm glad people love the winged bean cause i've ordered a packet of seeds. I've seen them around locally and while they look interesting, i think my experiences with fantastic looking things in India have put me off. Or perhaps i am just closed minded. Anyway reassurance and ideas for good things to eat from others is what i what i need and value at the moment. I've also ordered jicama. I like the name. The brokoli thing floot is talking about sounds promising. I will try that at some point too. I've got 10 new things coming in the post from Green Harvest seeds. I'm getting a tree called Agati which has edible flowers. Its a legume tree. I can't remember the names of the others and i seem to have deleted the list.

Speaking of edible flowers, when i was in India earlier this year, i came upon this lovely tree called something marwah which has a most delicious sweet edible flower. The locals collect them from the ground by the basketful in spring and make an alcohol which i haven't tried but i'd love to grow that tree alone just to eat the flowers. If anyone goes to India try to find some seed for that tree. It will grow where Floot lives i think. I was in Madhya Pradesh which is hot and fairly dry area. Of course they have a monsoon there. Look up MAHUA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhuca_longifolia Wiki's entry is informative.

While looking for info just now on Mahua, i came upon a description of how to make jacfruit wine on a link about "traditional acohol brews in india," I must say i rather like this idea as I am going to grow jacfruit.

I know this post is a bit off topic so please keep adding your ideas to this thread.

[sun burn]

I should add, I don't support or promote smuggling exotic seeds cause they can be trouble for the environment, as well as for you coming through customs.